The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-16
WHAT IS IT?
A Question That is Puzzling the Resi-
dents of Queer Greek.

JULIUS VI 0INicOI SICOh'
Logan (O) Letter to Cincinnati Enquirer.
Twelve miles west, and a little south of
here, is where Queer creek commences, and
twelve miles further, in nearly the same di-
rection, it empties into Salt creek. It
drains portion of the counties of Hooking
and Vinton, probably fifteen miles square,
and these 225 square miles comprise the
hilliest, rocxiest, toughest and hardest place
for man or beast to get enough upon which
TO subsist, that the broad State of Ohio can
furnish. Near the head of the stream the
water pours over an almost perpendicular
precipice nearly 200 feet high, sometimes in
sheet forty feet wide, but in the summer it
dwindles down to a stream that would run
through an inch pipe, but singularly enough
never entirely dries up. The continual flow
of the water and the great force with
which it descends has worn basin 100 feet
in diameter deep enough, and always con-
containing sufficient amount of water in
which to float sxiff. This small lake, with
its clear water, almost surrounded by high
rocks and steep hills, upon which grow hem
lock, pine, cedar and lark green laurel, pre-
sents scene pleasing to look upon. This
place has been christened Cedar Falls. No
strange or weird tales have ever been told
regarding this be utiful place, no marks
supposed to be the handiwork of the long
departed Indian, and nothing of an extraor-
binary nature was ever known to happen
until the summer of 1884, when
A RUMRLING AND sHAKIN5
was heard and felt like unto an earthquake.
An investigation showed that some of the
rocks had moved a little out OF place. Go
ing down the stream five or six miles one
comes to Ash Cave This place is like
Cedar Falls in few respects and unlike it
~. H. Il. .f -, fS.,s
nation is that the high rock projects for
ward, forming large cave. But the un-
written history as told by the present in
habitants of the neighborhood is what
makes the place of more than ordinary in
terest. 1t was here, according to tradition,
that brave tribe of Indians long had its
headquarters; it was here that the red
devils laid their plans to exterminate
the white settlers; it was here they
brought their unfortunate captives and
drove the stake for their destruction and as
the fagots blazed around their victims they
heard their dying shrieks with strange de
light, as though it were sweet music to their
savage ears. When they were finally over
come by the too numerous white men and
were driven from their rocky Businesses the
place remained tenantleSs for whilen and
them became the rendezvous for band of
bold, bloody robbers, and somewhere in the
vicinity they hid their treasure, large
quantity of which it is supposed was never
taken away. When the robbers departed
the spirits of Indian chiefs and murdered
white men and women wandered over the
hills and among the rocks, and many red
warrior, adorned with paint and feathers,
carrying a string of fresh scalps,
and bleeding, scalpless women, have
been seen by the belated traveller. But
the ghosts, too, have long since stolen 81
lently away, and now few broken dishes,
an old cream freezer, empty beer and whis-
ky bottles, plainly tell that the merry Fourth
of July and Sunday school picnickers have
been the latest occupants, and when the
long-looked-for railroad is built up this mar
row valley then will no doubt come the
hotel man.
There died near this place few months
ago Mr.. Snider, who was supposed to be
nearly 100 years old. He was a genuine
half-breed, according to his own story, and
as his looks would indicate. His father was
captured by the Indians, and,
TO SAVE HIS LIFE,
married one of the dusky virgins of the
forest, and although he became an Indian
good enough for all practical purposes, his
captors did not have sufficient confidence in
him to impart to him all their valuable Sc
crets. Twice a year the Indians would
make pilgrimage somewhere among the
rocks and hills of Queer creek and bring
back silver and lead ore. Snider would
always be left at the cave, in which is a
large stone nearly level on top, and in which
are two holes about nine inches in diameter
and two feet deep. These holes, it is said,
were used for smelling purposes, and there
can be no doubt as to the truth of the
statement, for ashes to the depth of more
than ten feet still remain in the cave. The
silver ore was usually sold to other tribes,
but the half-breed had in his possession
when he died coin which he always main
tanned was made from the ore found in that
vicinity. The Indian wife was almost as
silent as to the location of these mines as the
rest of the tribe. After the country had be-
come settled by the whites, she said that ''if
the pale-face knew as much as the Indian
he could shoe his horse with silver cheaper
than he could with iron" A short time be-
fore her death she tried to direct her son to
the spot. He followed her directions as near
as he could, but was unsuccessful, and many
an anxious fortune seeker has he
taken ON a wild goose chase since his
mothers death. AT another rock fifty feet
from the top of one of the Queer creek
tributaries, and nearly as high as those
above mentioned, is a cave probably twenty
feet in diameter. No effort has ever been
known to have been made to get into this
cave until a few days ago, when half dozen
young men went to the top of the rock and
let one of their number down with a rope
until he was opposite the entrance, and by
swinging himself he swung into the cave
Going in few yards he found
A PERFECTLY ROUND HOLE,
more than foot in diameter, had been
made in the floor. A stone had been shaped
to exactly fit this hole, and this the young
ster could not move. The citizens now have
their wits hard at work to devise some
means by which they can get safely in and
out this cave, where they have no doubt an
hidden, which, in their great anxiety to get
possession of, some will take dangerous
chances, and it is not improbable that be-
fore it is reported that the whole neighbor-
hood has become millionaires some person
will have broken his neck. RUFF.